


Stripped

by afteriwake



Series: Lingering Winter [6]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 11:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She had loved him and let him go, and his return brought heartache and hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stripped

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally two separate fics, "Loss Renewed" and "The Pain Melts Away," but on second look they work better as one story.

It was good to return home, Unohana mused as she went into her room after their return to Soul Society and an unexpected visit from former Soul Society residents who now resided in the world of the living. There was comfort there, comfort that she knew she would need after the shock she received in the last battle of the Winter War, and the new shock she received today.

Isshin was still alive, and she had always hoped it would be so, but to know that Ichigo was his son had hit her to the core. For Isshin to have a son, and daughters as well, that meant that he had to have a wife, and that he had to love her very much. And that devastated her.

She had always said to herself that it was propriety that stopped her from revealing her feelings about Isshin to him. He was her 3rd seat when he finally got a seated position, and while at first it was nothing more than the love a teacher may feel for a student, it grew into something more, at least on her part. He had never failed to make her smile, even when she was at her most serious. He knew exactly what to say to pull her out of an introspective mood, so much more than Kyoraku and Ukitake did at times, and she considered them two of her closest friends.

And she was attracted to the way that Isshin looked. She had never really thought about what type of man she would be attracted to until she met him, and she found herself realizing that what she looked for was what Isshin offered, even if he didn’t realize it. She found herself taking the time to see him, though not often enough to arouse anyone’s suspicions or cause him to be called her favorite, but she did like to look at his face when he grinned at her.

When he became Captain of the 11th squad she had hoped that maybe there was a chance, now that they were both Captains, that something might happen. It wasn’t socially correct to tell him, she told herself, but if he felt any feelings towards her, he would find a way to let her know. That was how it was supposed to be. But from the moment the ten Captains and Lieutenants who had become Hollows disappeared, along with Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai, he had changed. He was still friendly and open, but he became more secretive. And when he became Captain, his duties and trying to keep his battle happy squad together consumed most of his time.

Their times together were briefer and more formal than they had been when he was part of her squad. He was changing, and he changed even more when he became Captain. Now, of course, she knew why, that he had been training in secret because Yoruichi had been distrustful of Aizen, that he had been practicing the techniques that would eventually save two worlds from destruction. At the time, however, she had just felt a strong sense of loss.

A sense of loss that grew stronger once she had helped him escape Soul Society to keep from getting killed. She never told him that the reason she agreed was that she loved him, and she could not bear for him to be killed, and she would rather know he was alive in the world of the living and never see him again than have to visit a grave in Soul Society to see him every day. So she had healed the grievous wounds Kenpachi had inflicted on him, and when he was able, she said her final good-bye and watched him leave her life, never to return.

Only he had returned, and now that sense of loss renewed itself, and this time it was worse. Today, Isshin arrived with the former Captains and Lieutenants, Ichigo and his daughters Yuzu and Karin, who still seemed to be in shock from what their father and brother had told them. Seeing him with his family broke her heart, especially when Ichigo told her about his mother Masaki. Knowing that Isshin still loved his dead wife made her know that, even if he did return to Soul Society, he would never love her as much. And every time she saw young Ichigo, she would always be reminded.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she laid on her bed, feeling alone and sad and wanting nothing more than to sleep and forget about the pain for a while. She knew tomorrow she would wake up, and Isshin would be gone again, and she would need to go back to her duties and responsibilities, but for now she could just weep and let the pain bubble to the top and spill out of her so that hopefully tomorrow there would not be as much, that she could push it down deep inside and resume the life she’d led for the last twenty or so years, and forget once again that Isshin was in the world of the living and that she would never have his love.

\--

She was still very sad the next day, and Isane interpreted it as needing her rest because she was still dealing with the stress of the battle. Rather than argue Unohana agreed and went to her room, ostensibly to rest. But in reality, she sat at her desk and began to write a letter to Isshin. Or to try and write one, at any rate; everything she wrote felt forced and fake, and she wasn’t sure exactly what to tell him in the first place.

She had been there for an hour when there was a knock at her door. She opened it up, expecting to see Isane there, when she was surprised to instead see Isshin. “Isshin,” she said quietly.

“Your Lieutenant said you were resting,” he said. “I had wanted to talk to you before I returned home.”

“Of course,” she said, moving away from the doorway. “Come in.” He entered her room and looked around as she got a good look at him. This was the first time she had ever seen him in anything other than shinigami robes, and she admitted to herself that he looked very nice in his suit. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, I would,” he said. She showed him to her table and he sat down while she began to prepare tea. There was silence, and while she had thought it would be awkward it was instead comfortable, like the way it had been many years ago, back when he was on her squad and he visited just to talk.

“Where are Ichigo and your daughters?” she asked.

“Kuukaku’s showing them how she sets off fireworks,” he said with a slight smile. “I think Karin’s going to want something like that when we return.”

Unohana smiled. “I suppose it’s not practical in the world of the living?”

“No, it’s not.” He looked around. “You haven’t changed much, Retsu.”

“You have changed a lot, though, Isshin,” she said, turning to look at him. “For the better, it seems. Having children seems to have settled you somehow.”

“Maybe with the girls, yes, but with Ichigo it’s another story.” He grinned at her. “I think my training over the years probably made me look like a fool in his eyes, but it was effective. Loud and obnoxious, but effective.”

Her smile widened. “I think you picked up that trait from the 11th squad.”

“Probably,” he said with a laugh. “Still having trouble with them?”

She nodded. “Always. A slight glare or a firm word seems to keep them in line, however.”

“That’s good to know.”

They lapsed into silence again until the tea was done, and she brought it and two cups to the table, serving him first and then serving herself. “I do miss this,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, this is one of the things I missed when I left,” he said quietly. “I always did enjoy having tea with you.”

“Why did you come here today?” she asked, ignoring her cup of tea for a moment.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said. “To be honest, there have been many times in the last twenty or so years that I’ve wanted to talk to you.”

She nodded. “I see.”

He took a deep breath. “I know why you helped me escape Soul Society,” he said.

“And why is that?” she asked, catching her breath.

“You cared for me very much, more than I deserved. And I wanted to thank you.”

She felt herself grow warm. “Please, don’t.”

“I care about you as well. Maybe not in the same way, but I do still care about you.” He picked up his tea and took a sip. “I assume Ichigo has told you about his mother?”

She nodded slowly, not looking at him. “Yes. Her name was Masaki?”

“Yes. She always reminded me of you.” He smiled at her when she looked up at him. “When I first met you, I decided that if I ever got married and settled down I wanted a wife who was as kind and gentle and loving as you are. When I met Masaki…it was like meeting another version of you.”

She felt the warmth on her face increasing. “Isshin…”

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Retsu. I’m sorry,” he said, setting his tea down and putting his hand on hers. “General Yamamoto has said that my family is allowed to come to Soul Society every once in a while to visit. When I do come visit, will you have tea with me? Like old times?”

“Yes, Isshin. I would like that quite a bit,” she said with a nod and a smile.

“Good.” He picked up his tea and took another sip. “Why don’t we talk about other things now? Like your squad?”

Her smile widened and warmed even more as she began to talk about her life now, and it seemed as though twenty years apart just melted away in the space of a few moments, and for that she was glad.


End file.
